


Nathan and Cookie on the Run

by Nocticola



Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s04e01 Fallout, Gen, Haven After the Storm, Post Episode: s03e13 Thanks for the Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-07-10 14:55:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15951656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nocticola/pseuds/Nocticola
Summary: After Audrey goes into the Barn, Nathan takes care of Cookie.





	1. After the Barn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GreyHaven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyHaven/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Cookie in Haven](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15427209) by [Nocticola](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nocticola/pseuds/Nocticola). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda inspired by the events of Haven: After the Storm comic, or at least the tvtropes recap I've read of it.  
> Haven: After the Storm comic recap https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/HavenSp3AfterTheStorm
> 
> cw: throwing up after Nathan goes to the hospital

Nathan's not sure what to do with himself. Audrey is gone. James is gone. Duke is gone. The Barn is gone. The Troubles are still here, though. (That's the only thing that lets him function, he's pretty sure.) He screams Audrey's name a few more times, just in case she can hear him wherever she is. The screaming makes his deep voice almpost hoarse. Or maybe the gunshot wounds are finally starting to affect him.

He looks around himself finally, trying to assess the damage. The meteors are still coming down. He really fucked up everything. 

He can see Jordan on the ground, bleeding, breathing shallowly but still alive, near where the Barn used to be. 

Nathan makes his way to her and picks her up. Even though he can't feel it, he can tell his body protests his actions. Well, he hasn't had to care about the state of his body for years, he's not gonna start now. 

He walks to the coast and is surprised to find that Dwight is still there. Was he waiting for someone?

"Nathan! What happened? Why hasn't the meteor storm stopped? Where's Duke? Is Jordan OK?" Dwight tries to take Jordan's hand and before Nathan can warn him, Dwight is down on the ground, reeling from the pain.

"The Troubles are still here. Audrey went into the Barn. She wouldn't let me go with her. I killed Howard. Killing Howard killed the Barn. I told Duke to go to the dying Barn, to safe them. But it was too late. The Barn is gone." Nathan's voice is hollow, too much pain to express it.

Dwight is full of conflicting emotions. Audrey was supposed to fix things. 

"What about Jordan?" 

Nathan looks down at Jordan in his arms like he forgot she was there, "Oh. She shot me before I shot Howard. Then Duke shot her." 

"She shot you?!" 

"You're lucky you weren't there," Nathan says with slight humor which just confuses Dwight even more. 

"C'mon. We need to take both of you to the hospital." 

*** 

They make it back to Haven, and luckily it seems like the meteor storm has finally stopped and they find an ambulance for Jordan. Nathan makes sure the EMTs know not to touch her with bare hands. They watch the ambulance disappear towards one of the hospitals. 

"Sometimes my Trouble is handy. I could ignore my wounds long enough to get her here," Nathan mumbles. 

Dwight looks at Nathan, properly looks at him. He can't see his gunshot wounds. They must be on his back, without exit wounds. That means that the bullets must still be inside. 

"You need to go to the hospital yourself."

Nathan tries to look at the wound on his should and that's when Dwight sees them, one on his should, the other lower on his back. They're still bleeding "Fucking Christ, Nathan, you need to get those looked at!"

Nathan just looks at Dwight, face blank, "I can still function. We have Troubles to deal with because of me." Before Dwight can say anything else, Nathan is already gone. He really is surprisingly fast for someone who has been shot.

***

Nathan makes his way to the police station, knowing that's the best way to find out where he's needed the most. And he needs to find Cookie. Audrey asked him to take care of him, and he will. 

The station is in chaos, reports about the damage from the now over meteor storm and new Troubles are coming out all the time. He goes to the dispatch room where he finds Laverne and Cookie. 

Cookie seems worried and jumps up at Nathan the moment he sees him, whining a bit. Missing Audrey. 

"Nathan, hon, what is going on?" Laverne asks. Nathan takes a moment to just pet Cookie's head. He still doesn't feel it, but it makes him feel slightly better. 

"The meteor storm and... just, let me know where I'm most needed, OK, Laverne?" Nathan says and takes Cookie with him to his office. 

First thing Nathan does is find his first aid kit and he tries to do some preliminary damage control on his upper back, but he quickly gives up anything but a bandage because it feels useless to care about his body right now. He just needs to make sure he doesn't bleed out.

Cookie hides under his desk while Nathan wields calls from all over the town. The meteors and Troubles are creating havoc all over town and Nathan can barely breathe over his sense of responsibility. Cookie is slight comfort, but he doesn't even deserve that.

Suddenly, he hears Laverne's voice, "Nathan, I think you should go to Greene Street. Brendan Ward is trapped inside his house and there is seismic activity." 

"Copy, Laverne." That sounds exactly the type of thing he could handle right about now. He leaves Cookie under his desk. 

*** 

He gets to Greene Street and finds Dwight in trouble, pinned under a falling beam. He helps Dwight out and together they manage to calm Brendan down. Nathan's not quite sure what he's even saying, how he's getting through to Brendan, but luckily he is. Dwight vouches for him, and apparently Brendan isn't too tight with the Guard to know about Nathan's relationship with it. 

Eventually, Brendan calms down enough that he stops making earthquakes, and they free him from his house. Nathan promises to help everyone rebuild what was lost because of the meteor storm and Dwight backs him up. They've survived the Troubles before, they'll survive them again. 

After they've dealt with Brendan, Nathan's body finally gives out and Dwight takes him to the hospital. There he gets an earful about how irresponsible he is for not coming there sooner, and Nathan doesn't tell them that he's sure they have more important patients to take care of. He sees the chaos at the hospital and without realizing it (this fucking body) he throws up on the floor. The guilt feels overwhelming.

As soon as he's able, Nathan checks out against medical advice, and makes his way back to the station. He picks up Cookie before going home. The initial shock of everything is over, and the town is slightly calming down.

*** 

Later that night, Nathan is sleeping on his couch with Cookie sleeping in front of him on the floor, when he wakes up to awful pounding. 

He gets up, still mostly dressed to find Dwight. "You have to leave." Dwight says in his cleaner voice, the one that could convince anyone that the person they thought they saw was actually a bear. 

"What? Why? I'm needed here?" Nathan's brain is fuzzy because of sleep, and everything else that's happened the last few days (months). 

"The Guard wants to kill you." 

Nathan knows he should be more alarmed. That he should care more. But the only reasons he can find in himself to exist now, to live, is helping with the Troubles and taking care of Cookie. And only the first has any meaning for anyone else. 

"C'mon, I have a car ready for you. You need to go, now!" 

"I--," Nathan manages to say before suddenly a bunch of Guard members invade his home, Kirk being the only one he really recognizes, and they are holding guns at his head. 

Cookie barks at the men, which would be more convincing if he wasn't so cuddly. Dwight also stands in front of Nathan, although that is slightly redundant, since just his presence means that Nathan can't be shot. 

"Put the guns down!" Dwight yells, but although a few men listen to him, Kirk doesn't. 

"This doesn't concern you, Dwight. Wuornos needs to pay." 

"And he will. By helping us deal with the Troubles. He's one of the best at helping people deal with their Troubles. I wouldn't be alive right now if he hadn't helped me with Brendan Ward. Stand down!"

Kirk still doesn't put down his gun or aim it away from Nathan, "You got anything say Wuornos? Or is it Hansen? You wanna live?"

Being referred to as 'Hansen' should hurt more. Being denied his 'Wuornos'ness too. People wanting him dead? Should also affect him. But he's not sure what exactly he has left but guilt and duty. And Cookie. 

"You can't kill me with that. Not right now, anyway. Kirk'll just kill or shoot Dwight," is the only thing he says to the Guard men. He can see that Dwight's face is desperate, needing something more from him. "This is my fault. I'm not denying that. And I will do anything I have to, to make things better. I wish I could fix this all but I can't. I can only do my best to help." 

That seems to convince most Guard members, who put away their guns and start to leave. Soon it's just him, Dwight and Kirk. Finally, Kirk puts down his gun. 

"This isn't over, Wuornos," and leaves. 

Dwight breaths a sigh of relief. Nathan doesn't do anything.

"You know you're not safe, right?"

Nathan nods. 

"You have to get out of Haven." 

Nathan turns to look at Dwight confused, "But I just promised I'd help them. I can't back out of that." 

"Trust me, some of them don't care. You saw Kirk. The next time he sees you alone, his going to kill you." 

Nathan's voice is numb again, "So, I should just run away? What good does that do?"

"It keeps you safe. Maybe we'll eventually figure out another way to deal with the Troubles and we'll need you, but right now? The Guard wants you dead, and some Troubled might not want to see you or be helped by you. You need to go."

Nathan takes a moment to think about Dwight's words. Eventually he nods, and silently packs a few things in a duffel back and tells Cookie to follow him. "C'mon, Cookie," and Cookie follows him happily. 

"Wait, you're taking him?" 

"Audrey..." saying her name hurts (except it doesn't, because nothing hurts him), "Audrey told me to take care of him." 

Dwight looks like he might say something, but then doesn't, and just helps Nathan pack his things in the car. 

And soon, Nathan and Cookie are gone.


	2. 35th Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan and Cookie have been on the run for 2 weeks when Nathan realizes what day it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never been to an American rest stop but I checked some pictures and I assume they are places where you can get dog food and some coffee.

_Hey, um, I was just calling... Actually I...I don't know why I was calling. I just thought maybe... maybe you'd be up. Anyway, I'll... I'll see you at the office._

Nathan wakes up to Audrey's voice every morning. Before he got rid off his phone, he copied Audrey's last phone message to him and made it his all purpose ring tone on his crappy replacement phone. He's not sure why he bothers putting an alarm in the morning. He has no reason to wake up. 

Well, that's not really true. He might have killed the love of his life, his son and the closest thing he has to a best friend, but he still has Cookie. The car is pretty cramped for the two of them, and Nathan is pretty sure he should get rid of this one already. But he and Cookie make due.

Cookie licks Nathan's face, and even though he can't feel it, he appreciates the gesture. He checks the date on his phone. It's December 14th, his birthday, and he feels... He wishes he had lost track of time. He should stop living like he has any reason to exist except to take care of Cookie, and Cookie doesn't care about dates. 

He wishes that now that he knows the date, he could stop his memories of this day, could stop thinking about all the plans he used to have for today. (He wishes he hadn't gotten those fucking murder mystery tickets for today.)

He's 35 years old now, and he feels twice that. He's certainly lost enough to qualify. 

Now, Cookie is whining. He must be cold. Nathan takes stock of their situation. Global warming delays the snows but he needs to prepare for first snow soon. It's cold and dark and the car is parked at a rest stop.

He stretches as well as he can in the backseat before he opens the door and Cookie runs out. Nathan follows him. The place is quiet and empty which is good. Nathan doesn't want to get seen. That want doubles when the side mirror of the car shows him, two weeks of unshaven scruff, red eyes from lack of sleep, crying and alcohol. It's awful, but he can still recognize himself, so it's not enough.

He digs up Cookie's leash and they go for a walk. Cookie runs around excited and it's cute enough that Nathan can't help but smile.

They get back into the car and Nathan pets Cookie as he figures out his next step. Even though he can't feel it, his stomach rumbles in hunger. He checks his wallet. He still has some money left. He doesn't have to make any decisions on the car's future today.

Nathan and Cookie walk up to the rest stop and while Nathan sees a sign saying that dogs are allowed, he ties up Cookie for a while first.

"Sorry, buddy. I'll came back soon." 

Nathan goes to the bathroom where he does his best to clean himself up. It's hard to do without touch or looking at himself so he has to relent and watch himself in the mirror. He washes his face, tries to deal with his hair and beard and digs up his toothbrush and toothpaste from his jacket pockets. 

When he's done, he doesn't look completely homeless anymore, which is a start. He takes off his jacket, trying to see how his bullet wounds are doing. Not bleeding right now. Good.

He goes to the grocery side and gets Cookie some food and some sandwhiches for himself.

He goes back outside to get Cookie. He looks hungry. "Sorry, buddy. I forgot your bowl in the car. Let's go eat."

They walk back to the car and Nathan digs up Cookie's bowls, puts them on the ground and fills them with some food on one and some water in the other. Nathan sits on the driver's seat and watches Cookie eat as he starts on his own sandwhich. He really needs to come up with a way to make money soon. His cash funds are running low.

When they are both done with eating, Cookie climbs into Nathan's lap. Nathan hugs him. At least he has Cookie. 

"Wanna go celebrate my birthday?" Cookie seems to really nod so they get out of the car again and walk back to the rest stop and get inside. The cafe has a bunch of old men talking, drinking coffee, reading the newspaper. Nathan and Cookie find a place in a corner and Nathan takes up one of the newspapers.

He's trying to find any mention of Haven when the waiter comes up to him.

"What can I get you?" asks the kind looking older woman with a name tag that says 'Patty'. 

Nathan tries to smile but he's not sure of his success. "A black coffee and a Danish, thanks." As Patty writes down his order, Nathan is not quite sure why but he adds, "It's my birthday." Maybe he just wants someone to know.

Patty smiles and it seems genuine, "Well, happy birthday, sweetie. You sure that's enough?"

A part of Nathan wants to order pancakes. Sure he can't really afford them right now, but it is his birthday. "That's it, thank you."

"Alright. That is a cute dog you have here."

Nathan thinks his smile is better this time, "Thanks. His name is Cookie." 

"Cute name. I'll be back in just a sec, sweetie," and then she's gone.

Nathan goes back to the newspaper but there are no news about Haven. That's good, probably. Patty returns with his coffee and pastry and they exchange polite smiles. Nathan bites into the Danish and he's forgotten how nice it is to eat something so sweet and tasty. He usually just orders a coffee to go. Can't stay in one place too long.

As he waits for his coffee to cool enough, he looks at all the men around. They are between his fathers' and the Teagues' ages. No one shows the tattoo. Good. 

The longer he sits there, the more paranoid he starts to become, of someone recognizing him. He should leave. Cookie is sleeping on the floor, enjoying the warmth. He leaves him there for a moment and goes to get the rest of his coffee to go with a refill before he comes back to get Cookie. 

"C'mon, buddy, time to go."

Nathan doesn't really calm down until he's driven 20 minutes on the highway with no other cars in sight, Cookie has fallen back asleep in the backseat and he's listened to Audrey's phone message over and over again. Her voice still calms him.

He drives around all day without destination. Late into the evening, as he needs to figure where to park for the night, he sees a group of bikers at a gas station parking lot. It's not a place for sleeping, but he needs to eat again. He parks and lets Cookie out again. He gets himself snack foods, easy to eat with high energy. He checks the notice board for any help wanted adds but before snow falls, there's really no random jobs around this time of the year. When he gets out, Cookie is being pet by the bikers and Nathan decides to put his shopping back into the car before he gets Cookie.

As he approaches the group of men, he can hear that they are talking about stuntmen and action movies. 

"Ain't no way people can actually just take a punch like that. No way!" One of them is saying. 

"Well, they are not really taking the punches. It's all choreography." Another says. Suddenly Nathan is reminded of the debates he heard in the break room at the station. They often seemed silly to him and it was one of those things that made him a loner at work. Until Audrey.

"I bet some of them can," Nathan says before he can stop himself.

"What? Who are you?" The first man asks. 

Nathan points at Cookie and he keeps talking, "I'm his owner. Some people can take hits like nothing. Like me." 

Cookie runs to him and Nathan checks that he is Ok while scratching his ear and then looks up. "I can take a hit from any one of you." 

A chorus of "bullshit" is heard but there is some curiousity too. 

The first man steps up to Nathan, "So you're saying, if I hit you, you can just take it?" 

Nathan smirks like Duke in full bullshit mode, "I won't even feel it. Wanna try? 20 bucks." 

Cookie whines at his feet, he can tell Nathan is making a stupid decision but suddenly Nathan can only think of how he needs money, and his fucking Trouble should be good for something. He can always find drunken men who want to hit things. 

"Alright. 20 bucks and I get to hit you." 

Nathan nods, "Great." 

He drops to his knees and tells Cookie to go to the car. If Nathan didn't know any better he would swear he sees disappointment in Cookie's eyes and it reminds him so much of Audrey but he does leave. 

Nathan stands up again, holds out his hand for the 20 and braces himself. As the fist approaches him, Nathan just thinks that he should have been drunk for this. The fist connects with his face. He feels nothing. 

The crowd cheers, and soon others want to hit him too, and he lets them. 

Being a punching bag gets him enough money that when Nathan drives past the first motel to accept pets, he gets in. Even though his face is all bruised, the motel clerk barely gives him a second look.

Nathan blops onto the bed and even though he doesn't feel it, he senses the ache all over his body. Cookie jumps on the bed with him and licks his face. Nathan holds onto Cookie until they both fall asleep on top of the covers.

Nathan wakes up hours later and he can see the first snow gently falling to the ground. He used to get excited about that. He stares out the window, scratching at Cookie's ear. He probably would have continued sleeping in the car for longer if he didn't have to think of Cookie too. 

"Just in time, huh, buddy?" he asks Cookie who looks at him with what seems like concern. "We need the money. I can handle getting hit a few times if that keeps us warm." He leans down and kisses Cookie's head, "I promised Audrey I'd take care of you, and I will."

He gets up from the bed, takes a change of clothes and goes to get a quick shower in the bathroom. He avoids the mirror as much as he can but at least he 'feels' clean. He goes under the covers and falls asleep with his hand still in Cookie's fur.

Another birthday is done. At least it's over.


	3. Return to Haven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan and Cookie come back to Haven (4x1 Fallout AU *including the fact that Nathan always had a car, not a motorbike like in the episode)

Cookie wakes up Nathan like he does every morning. Eventually, waking up to Audrey's phone message became too much. At first, Cookie seemed to find Nathan's Trouble frustrating, because he couldn't just push his wet nose into whatever part of Nathan's skin is exposed but he has to either bark in his ear or push him enough that he actually noticed. But over their six months together, Cookie has gotten used to it, as has Nathan.

"Mornin'," Nathan grunts. He scratches Cookie's ear for a bit, trying to get his body to wake up properly. His money making scheme and the booze makes it hard sometimes. But he gets up, feeds himself and Cookie and figures out their timetable for today. He counts his money, and to his annoyance, he's running low again. 

"Damnit," he says quietly, but Cookie hears him and wants to comfort him, so he puts his head on Nathan's knees and whines a bit with literal puppy eyes. 

Petting Cookie does make Nathan feel a bit better, "I need to go out again today. It's that time again. You'll take care of our stuff, right? You'll wait for me here?" 

It's like Cookie knows exactly what Nathan is saying and planning on doing, because his whining gets louder. He never likes it when Nathan goes away, because he doesn't like what Nathan looks like when he gets back. "Hey, it's OK. I know what I'm doing." Cookie gives him a distrustful look. But it doesn't change anything. They need money. 

Nathan pets Cookie some more, and he's somewhat glad this place they are staying in for now is adjecent to a bike bar, he won't have to go far to make money. But before that, he takes Cookie for a long walk into the nearby woods and it's like Cookie has already forgotten that he is slightly annoyed at Nathan. When they get back from the walk, Nathan waits until Cookie goes to sleep before he goes outside. Today should be a good day. He already saw a lot of potential customers outside. He locks the door and hopes Cookie will sleep until Nathan has enough money for them to move on. 

***

Nathan didn't know it when he woke up, but this day turns out to be different. He gets beat up a few times, sure that's normal for him, but something miraculous happens. Duke's not death. He's not death, but neither Audrey nor James are with him, and Nathan doesn't know what his feelings are suddenly doing. They settle on confused when he sees Jennifer for the first time. That helps him focus on what he needs to do now. 

"I need to go back there for my stuff and--"

"I agree. And maybe you should also shave. And have a shower. Can you do that?" 

Duke's tone seems to have more concern than Nathan is used to hearing, or maybe he just wants it to. "Yeah." 

"Great, Jennifer, how about you go get us some snacks while Nathan gets presentable, OK?"

"Oh! OK, I can do that." 

Nathan is still trying to figure Jennifer out. He's not used to that type of chipper-ness. Not anymore, anyway. 

Nathan's room is not far but to his annoyance he can already hear Cookie's quiet but incessant whining inside. He would be more worried about that if they weren't leaving right then. Still, Nathan quickens his pace that possibly confuses Duke.

Nathan gets to the door and opens it and Cookie's punishment today seems to be standing on his hind legs and licking Nathan's face. Nathan didn't get badly hurt today, so maybe Cookie is letting him off easy. 

"Is that... Is that Cookie? Audrey's Cookie?" 

"Yeah," is the only thing Nathan tells Duke while he calms the Border Collie down, and invites Duke into their room. 

"You've kept Audrey's dog all this time? While on the run?" 

Nathan is already busy packing his and Cookie's thing, "Of course I did." Nathan gives Duke a confused look. Why wouldn't he have done this? It was Audrey's last wish. 

Duke seems equally confused by Nathan's response but just goes with, "OK, I should have told Jennifer to get some dog food apparently." 

"No need, I still have enough for Cookie, for now." 

"OK... Well, I'll keep him company while you deal with this whole situation, " Duke says, gesturing at Nathan's appearance. 

"Right," Nathan just nods before getting everything he needs and going to the bathroom to freshen up.

***

Afterwards, Nathan explains to Duke the situation. Cookie walks at pace with them without a leash and Nathan goes to make sure there's nothing worthwhile left in his car. He was meaning to dump in soon anyway. While Nathan details what's happened over the past six months and his plan to Duke he keeps petting Cookie and Duke keeps giving him weird looks. Nathan just mentally shrugs. 

"Are we going to take Jennifer back to Haven?" Nathan decides to ask when she appears again with now their car. 

Duke doesn't seem a fan of Nathan's plan, but he needs to go back. He needs the resources, and eventually Audrey will find her way to Haven. She always does. And he has to give Cookie back to her. 

"What a cute dog!" Jennifer says, and when she mentions that she bought Slim Jims for the trip, Nathan's pretty much sold on her. 

"Isn't he?" Nathan hopes his smile isn't too creepy. He hasn't used it on people in a while. "You can pet him while you answer my questions while Duke drives."

"Oh, OK."

Nathan and Cookie make their way to the car without waiting for Duke and Jennifer, but they follow soon enough. Nathan and Cookie and Jennifer settle in the backseat, and Cookie immediately likes Jennifer. Nathan tries to tone himself down and waits patiently until Jennifer is done telling him about the voices she heard six months ago. 

When she tells him about the second option, Nathan finalizes his plan. Cookie seems to figure out what is going on and he gives Nathan a look. Nathan just pets him. Cookie knows him too well. Doesn't matter. Nathan knows what he'll have to do and how to do it. He can finally fix what he broke. At least Audrey will have Cookie in the aftermath. She will survive it, just like he did.


End file.
